Age-old Huranga tradition celebrated with vibrant colours, spiritual devotion in Mathura

Mathura (UP), Mar 5 (PTI) Devotion and vibrant colours marked the traditional Huranga celebrations at the Shri Dauji Temple in the town of Baldev here on Thursday as several foreign visitors joined locals to witness the age-old Holi custom.

Large quantities of natural colours were prepared for the festivities using more than six quintals of tesu flowers, one quintal of rose flowers, 21 quintals of 'gulal', two quintals of 'phitkari' (alum), three quintals of limestone powder, and 12 quintals of saffron colour, sandalwood and turmeric, a 'sewayat' (servitor) of the temple said.

According to popular belief, Huranga celebrates the playful bond between a woman and her brother-in-law.

It is believed that Lord Krishna first played Huranga with the wife of his elder brother Balram, Rewati, the sevayat said.

During Huranga celebration, male participants known as 'huriyars' drench women with water and colours, while women tear off men's clothes, twist them into whips and beat them playfully.

Members of the Sewayat Pandey community, said to be descendants of Goswami Shri Kalyan Devji, traditionally play Huranga at the Dauji temple, the sevayat said.

Dauji, another name for Balram, is revered as the king of 'Brijbhumi'. It is believed that when all the gods left Mathura, Balram remained there as the protector and conservator of the region.

Women dressed in traditional lehenga attire and ornaments arrived at the temple in groups on Thursday morning, singing Holi Rasiya (bhajans) songs, while gulal was sprayed on devotees, filling the temple premises with vibrant colours, the sevayat said. Adequate security arrangements were made for the event. District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar inspected the arrangements before the start of the celebrations.

Huranga will also be played on Friday at the Mukut Mukharvind Mansi Ganga Temple in Govardhan.

Sewayat Vinod Kumar Sharma said as part of the age-old tradition, women of the Dashvisha Brahmin community tear the clothes of their brothers-in-law, make whips from them and beat them in a playful manner.

The tradition is believed to date back to the time when Lord Krishna played Huranga with the gopikas, he added.

Sharma said the celebration culminates with the traditional Charkula dance, in which a woman balances 108 burning earthen lamps on her head while dancing. PTI COR ABN ARB ARB ARB